Mate Bound Book Two: Primal Bonds
by TheDevilsWitness
Summary: It all started with a murder and now he can't stop thinking about her, the bronze eyed girl that is pack but not a wolf. Rated for later chapters. Eventually Bran/OC
1. Prologue

**Full description: **After the murder of her son Maggie is brought into the heart of the Alexandria werewolf pack in Louisiana; but when she comes face to face with Bran something in her that broke was fixed and other things have been breaking even more the longer she knows him.

* * *

The gun was held steady, a Desert Eagle aimed right between his eyes. The unblinking cold bronze eyes of the female in charge of that gun glared at him from the opposite end of the barrel. He didn't deserve to breathe the same air that he'd stolen from the child who limply hung from his grasp, dead. She'd been too late to save him, the five-year-old stolen from his own little bed in the dark of the night.

Her heart iced over, that coldness in her eyes dropping to the rest of her body. A killer's cool calculation slipped through her as she watched him ready to drop him in a second.

"Yours… Mine now…" he growled out aiming a feral smile at her.

Her stance changed ever so slightly to make up for the recoil before she shot him right between the eyes, a silver bullet burrowing into his brain before seconds later another tore through his heart killing him twice over. The female dropped her gun before falling to her knees gathering the little one into her arms.

The shadows moved and she couldn't help but look up into the wolf's pale golden gaze, she knew this was a werewolf and obviously not the first one she'd been face to face with. She obviously didn't know this one but she knew enough to look away from his gaze.

"I just watched him kill my son, he deserved it. You'd better get out of here before the cops show up…" She watched him disappear, his coat blending into the shadows the further away he got.


	2. Chapter 1

**Woo two updates in one day within just hours of each other, go me! There is a second story on my page in case you are wondering about the two updates thing. The second chapter of Romance for the Wild will be my next update, so if you haven't read it yet go check it out. It has Ben!**

"_And now for our top story in national news; the missing child from Alexandria, Louisiana was recovered earlier today by his own mother in the mountains of Montana. Ms. McLeod went on a nationwide manhunt despite the police telling her not to, but in a tragic twist the child was killed by his abductor who was then shot and killed by the boy's mother. The real shock came with his mother's reaction to learning the assailant was a werewolf, she had this to say."_

The screen cuts to a scene shot earlier in the day for the segment. The blonde on the screen was more striking then beautiful though most would say she was gorgeous, she didn't agree. She looked into the camera with strong conviction in her bronze eyes even if they were puffy and red from crying. _"When they told me that my Aeron's kidnapper was a werewolf I found myself _knowing _it was a rogue. I've met plenty of werewolves in my local pack and I know from them that no werewolf in their right mind would ever hurt a child. This just isn't how they work, but just like humans there are some that are sick and in their minds they love children._

"_Now ya'll wouldn't even be making a fuss about mah boy if you all didn't already have an agenda to oust the wolves like you tried with the fae. I'm telling you now there is scarier stuff out in the world. Now ya'll let my boy rest in peace, the more ya'll bring him up and talk about what happened the long his spirit is bound to this world and out of heaven's reach."_

The image cut back to the studio then, _"Ms. McLeod has returned home with her child on a private airline. She is planning a private funeral in her hometown and asks that the public leave her and the werewolves alone. As of now the police are not bringing charges against her for the killing. In other news…"_

Bran let out a sigh as the woman on the television was left to drone on even as he now ignored the set. The bronze eyed woman, Ms. McLeod had intrigued him when she'd asked him to leave so he wouldn't become part of a police investigation, and now he knew why. She sounded southern when she spoke not only to him but during her segment and yet that name, it was Scottish and he'd heard it before. Still the female was obviously in contact with the pack in Alexandria and the way she'd defended every werewolf across the country… she was about to become an enemy to any human who was anti-fae or anti-werewolf.

He lifted his phone scrolling through the names until he spotted just the man he was looking for and before he could even say a single thing the Cajun started to talk. "Was wonderin' when you'd be callin'. We doan need assistance yet, already got Maggie out her house, she safe here with us."

"She's had threats?" Bran asked.

"Neighbors mostly… One _coo-yôn_ tried ta break into the funeral pahlah to burn Aeron's body… _P'tee pute _thought he'd turn wolf in the moon. Philip watchin' the boy to make sure no othah couillonnes be tryin'… Got people at her house and Irina got her sleepin' pills. Aeron's pa is one of my pack, buh he's nevah thought Aeron was his. Aeron was Maggie's life… I know she can deal with Lionel, just not sure past dat."

Bran tapped a fingertip to his thigh thinking for a moment, "she publicly backed us, she'll need to be someplace safe for a while."

"She pack, she stayin' here."

"That woman is not a werewolf, Malcolm. I saw her after the kill, she was serious and hurting but there was no blood lust after he was dead."

The silence ebbed and engulfed them as if water closed around them drowning out every sound in the world before Malcolm spoke again. "You the othah wolf she been talkin' up? She pack 'cause of her pa. He was ours, killed 'bout three years now, she been through a lot for human. Swear she 'bout as close to bein' a wolf as you can get without actually bein' one of us. I be tinkin' she even has a doh-mant wolf she canna call on."

"That's impossible…" Bran said, he'd never even heard so much as a rumor of such a thing ever happening before. He'd never heard a werewolf legend that came close to it either.

Malcolm chuckled then, "you should wait to tell me dat until you have been the one ta piss her off. I only suggest it 'cause I want ta see ya face when ya do."

An eyebrow lifted then and if this was one of those cheesy cartoons there would be a cricket chirping, "when is the funeral, Malcolm?"

"Two days… It took hours ta find someone ta do the service. A lot kept sayin' no 'cause dere will be wolves dere. The priest we found has ta travel in and just so happens he is of a supernatural race… he not tellin' us what but Mags doan care so long as he can pray for Aeron. Maggie canna do dis alone Bran no mattah how strong she likes ta act. She-yit, Bran I call ya back tomorrow… Mags is cryin' again need to comfort the _fluer_."

Bran shook his head; at least he knew more now, "go check on your blossom then. I'll be down with Charles and Anna tomorrow," he told the other man before signing off. He didn't want to think of how hurt the woman must have been, he couldn't afford to care too much, his wolf nudged him though feeling once more that he'd been alone long enough. Leah had been killed years ago and he was trying to find another girl that much like Leah that he could sate the beast with but he could never love. Maggie he knew on instinct was not that girl.


	3. Chapter 2

"So that's her… Da are you sure about this?" Charles asked the other male as he looked from him to the blonde in the window, a slight breeze was blowing and swirled into the window causing the lace curtain to billow in on her before settling once more. The lace stirred once more as another summer gust blew hot air into the house, the lace curved in flowing over one of her bare arms. The female was in a pair of shorts and a tank top just watching them. Bran looked up at her and sighed, poor thing… Her eyes were red and puffy from crying and that tank top was so dark on her that it washed her out making her look even more pale and fragile, nearly ghost like.

She looked directly at him as he shut the car off and opened the door. Did she somehow know him/. His wolf seemed to swell with pride at the thought of her possibly recognizing them even in this form. Bran tried to tamp down this reaction of course, he had a feeling he would like her far too much and he couldn't have that.

"Come on Maggie, let's get your hair brushed out before Bran and the others get here," Irina said and though Maggie nodded slightly her plump lips where moving in a voice to quiet for even him to pick out her words, but he knew she was telling the other female that they had already arrived. Irina's mop of short wild brunet curls followed by her sharp featured thin face suddenly popped up over Maggie's shoulder in the window. "That one is Bran. Good looking, yeah?" Maggie whispered again though her eyes never left him even as Malcolm walked over to Bran. "No he's not married anymore. His wife Leah was killed a few years ago and from the way he keeps on looking up here at you… Darling you are a hot piece."

"I'm not going to sleep with him just because he's good looking, Rina…" that time she was loud enough for him to hear her and he fought not to grin and laugh as she moved away from the window with the other woman.

Irina sat the blonde down handing over the female's brush, "you know he would so tap that."

"Rina really… When did you turn fourteen and where did you hear someone referring to sex as tapping?" she asked the other female and Irina's deep laugh flowed through the air. "Trust me no one wants to tap this anymore, hell I was surprised Lionel went after me in the first place. Course I didn't know he was married at the time either… the only good thing I got from him was Aeron and he's gone… Lost they say. I hate that saying Rina, lost him… like he could just come running back up to me yelling "here I am momma I hid real good this time." It's not fair and it's not right." Maggie was crying again, "will it ever stop hurting? It's like I have this giant gaping hole in my chest, a mother should never have to bury their child."

Grief and anger filled her, anger at the man that had grabbed him and killed him, grief at not seeing his sweet little face smiling and running up to her wanting a hug. She swung around grabbing a bedside lamp lobbing it against the wall smashing the thing and causing a shower of glass to cover the floor near the door. She slid down the wall next to the window sobbing so hard her breaths were coming in ragged gasps, Irina was at her side in moments wrapping her arms around her tightly as she fell to a seat next to her trying to calm her as the four that had been outside made their way quickly inside.

"Mags? Fille, ya need ta breathe…" Malcolm told her gently.''

"Anna?" Bran asked simply and his daughter-in-law nodded and told him she would try to help.

"She's not a wolf," Irina said protectively as she continued to hold Maggie.

Charles was the one to answer though, "She's an Omega, my Anna. She may be able to help her either way; it won't hurt her by any means." Anna moved over to sit next to Maggie on the opposite side as Irina and the female saw a near instant change as she calmed slightly already. Malcolm was tense and obviously didn't like this turn of events. Bran noticed it almost instantly though, Malcolm liked Maggie; Bran's wolf wanted to destroy him.

"I'm sorry. I just… I miss him," she cried out softly.

"That's nothing to be sorry for, you are allowed to mourn your child. He was a sweet special little guy I bet. That is how you are supposed to remember him, always," Anna told her softly.

"He was special," Maggie said sniffling out as she tried to stop crying.

"Everyone loved him from the moment they met him. I can't count how many times he used me to get to his feet when he was learning how to walk," Irina said with a fond if not watery smile.

"Ah seem ta recall everyone buh Mags freakin' out because ya were a wolf at de time. Ya jus' licked his face an' let him use ya as a jungle gym," the Cajun said shaking his head. He'd thought it had been a folly then and insanity now.

"I would never have hurt Aeron; you think if my wolf couldn't take it I would have been there in that form? I know my wolf and she loved that little boy just as much as I did," she informed him huffily and Malcolm growled at her.

"Don't you dare try and start a fight with her Malcolm Xavier or I will leave you chained up at the bottom of a quarry again!" Maggie snapped out as she glared up at him. Her brain was yelling at her to back down and quickly, yeah she apparently didn't make it a habit to listen to her brain. The female continued to glare up directly into his eyes.

Bran waited ready to keep Malcolm from attacking the human, only to be shocked when at the moment he expected the attack, Malcolm broke eye contact backing down from her. Maggie looked the others over then her eyes landing on Bran's for less than half a second before she looked away from his hazel gaze. His wolf was pleased with her for being strong; he wanted to beat his wolf with something heavy. They weren't allowed to have her; he couldn't let himself fall in love because it could be catastrophic if he did especially with her being a human.

Humans where to fragile, to short lived and he didn't think he or his wolf could take losing her if he gave her a chance. "Crap, there is going to be a fight anyway, "Irina said hearing a car pull up.

Maggie scrambled quickly to her feet dread carved deep into every one of her features as she glanced out the window. "I can't do this Rina…" she said softly and the female wolf reached up letting Maggie hold tightly to her hand. "It's not supposed to be like this, Malcolm please send him away."

Malcolm crossed his arms over his chest giving her a hard look as she turned to look at him instead of out the window, "he was Aeron's da, and he has a right." Malcolm was using this as an excuse to punish her for her defiance.

Maggie glared at him again as Irina stood up still holding Maggie's hand, "I call bull… Lionel never claimed Aeron as his. He would have to have admitted he tricked Maggie into sleeping with him while he was married then. You are torturing Maggie doing this, if you don't make him leave then she will be coming to my house."

Clearly Irina like Maggie more than she did Malcolm, "he stays an' ah forbid ya ta leave. Tha' includes the funeral tomorrow as well."

"Malcolm no!" Maggie gasped out wide eyed, "you can't do this. Rina was his godmother you know that!"

"Ah've said mah piece. It's done Brooke," Malcolm growled out using her first name rather than her nick name.

Charles shook his head, his long braid moving over his back as he did, this was unbelievably cruel to the two females. He couldn't over rule his though and he wasn't sure if his father would risk a fight over something like this. "Well this is stupid. She hurt your pride so you take away her best friend and toss her to a man that has clearly hurt her time and again," Anna said making Brother Wolf happy.

"Rina was my mother's best friend; she introduced my parents and helped raise me. She took care of me when my mother died; she helped me with Aeron…" Maggie whimpered clearly losing her composure again. "Malcolm you are not welcome to my son's funeral and I'm sure these gentlemen would be happy to comply, since the wolves are still working on good PR with humans. You will allow Rina to come to the funeral, you will keep Lionel here, or I will forcibly remove your balls and shove them down your throat. I'm not playing Malcolm, I'm in no mood for this."

Every werewolf was looking at her; this girl had a serious set of lady-balls to say anything like this to him. "Brooke Magdalene do nah tempt me…" Malcolm growled out at the little human his eyes going gold.

Well he had told Bran to wait and see her when she was mad, wish granted as the next thing any of them noticed the girl was right up in Malcolm's face with a death grip on his balls. All three males in the room went pale, Malcolm went even paler then the already pale Bran though as every ounce of color drained from his face. "Do as I said now."

"Fine, fine! Ya win!" Malcolm squeaked out nearly whimpering.

"Say it Malcolm," she ordered tightening her grip on him.

He would have fallen over if she weren't holding onto him. "Irina can leave; she can go to the funeral."

"Keep going, you aren't done…" she hissed out squeezing him tighter and twisting a little her eyes narrowing even more at him.

"Lionel will be band…" He gasped out.

She looked at him for a moment longer still holding him, "good enough." Maggie let go of him and he groaned out falling to his knees with a hand between his legs gasping air like it was going out of style. Maggie grabbed his chin lifting his face to look at her, "now you won't be making that mistake again, will you?"

"No," he told her keeping his eyes from hers.

"Good I would hate to have to break you,' she said letting go of his chin, he fell over. "You forgot Malcolm I am like my mother when I have to be, you were always so careful not to piss her off and you should be showing me the same respect. Malcolm I lost my son, I have nothing left to lose and that just makes me more dangerous because I don't have to live so I will do anything."

Irina moved up to her again wrapping her arms around her, she kissed her temple. "You can stop being hard now Maggie, he'll leave you be now baby girl."

Bran watched as Maggie simply leaned on Irina calm as could be now that Malcolm was on the ground. She clearly saw the woman as a surrogate mother and she obviously needed that right now. She'd assaulted a werewolf and not just any werewolf but an alpha, and it was all to keep the woman with her. "Remind me never to try and separate you two… It seems to be a detriment to," he cleared his throat. "Manly bits," Bran told Irina only to see Maggie blush a little bit.

"He wouldn't have listened otherwise," Maggie told him and he heard the honesty in her silken voice. "I grew up in and out of this house. He wasn't alpha then and he was still scared of mama, if he does his jerk thing I just pull on my big girl panties and act like my mother, he gets scared and give in."

Bran wanted to tell her it was more than that, Malcolm liked her and he was sure if he and Charles hadn't been there Malcolm would have given in before she had done what she did. He would heal though, probably already had to be honest. He wouldn't put it past him to try and gain sympathy from them now… It wasn't working. The male had been an idiot to provoke her and clearly he needed to think of a new alpha for this pack if a little human was more of an alpha than he was. He couldn't have a pack ruled over by her, even if his wolf liked her.

He looked towards his son, a simple glance that said a lot more than it didn't and had Charles nodding in agreement. They needed a new alpha before they left here.


	4. Chapter 3

He peeked in from the open doorway as the female ran a brush through her hair, those bronze eyes meeting his hazel ones for just a few seconds before they broke from his. He could feel his wolf preen, damn thing, it just had to keep pointing out that she was strong… Stronger than Leah had been even if she was a human.

Maggie had an alpha's soul trapped in a human form, too breakable. His wolf filtered imagined images into his mind, which wasn't fair in the least and it made him think of what she would look like as a wolf, if that fire would still burn in her that had caused her to lash out at Malcolm the day before and made him want to kiss her. No, no he couldn't think of this… she would be even more tangible if she weren't human. She was already too easy to care for and despite his wolf obviously rooting for her he wouldn't be able to live with the loss of another woman that he loved.

"Are ya finding everything alright at mah house?" the female asked and it became noticeable to him once more that the more upset she got the thicker that accent of hers was. He watched her for a second as she pulled and twisted at her hair until it was in a bun.

"Yes. Thank you for letting us use it while we are here, Charles and Anna used the guest room… I," he paused not sure of what her reaction would be and yet she would find out at some point. "I used your room last night, I will move to the couch if you prefer." His wolf brought her smell to the forefront of his mind; he'd had one hell of a night smelling her in that bed. He couldn't fall asleep at first, he'd kept getting aroused thinking of her in that bed and his wolf hadn't helped at all, then when he'd finally gotten to sleep he'd dreamed of her and it kept waking him up until he'd finally taken care of the issue himself in her shower.

Her voice broke him away from the thoughts his wolf was all too happy to visit, she chuckled, a light airy sound from her and yet clearly whatever she was thinking and was no doubt about to say put her in a better place. "As long as you don't have a panty raid planned I'm fine with it… I'm not sure how long I will be staying here with Irina, so someone should get some use out of the bed at least for a little while."

Bran watched her as she slid the last pin into place so her hair would stay up out of her face. She stood up slowly letting her body unfold from the seat in a languid move before she brushed her dress so it lay smoothly like it was supped to. "You look lovely."

"No I don't but thank ya anyway…" Maggie told him as she turned a little this way and that to make sure her dress didn't get caught on her hose and ride up. "Thank ya for coming, I know it was only because I defended ya wolves buh it means a lot to me."

He felt himself sigh as he shook his head, "part of the reason is because of that yes but it's not the whole reason. I feel like it's my fault… These are my wolves, even the rogue ones. It shouldn't have happened to a child… any child, children have been turned and that is tragic. A child dying… It shouldn't happen, not ever… Not to any child, especially yours what with your pack ties."

"Ya can't stop a crazy person from doing something crazy, Bran. If ya tried ta kill all the idiots and crazies ya'd never have time ta sleep," she told him softly and a sly grin started to slowly spread across his handsome face giving him a boyish rueful look. Maggie couldn't help smile right back to him because of that grin, he was adorable… Oh wait she wasn't supposed to think that.

"Maggie… Bran it's time to go," Irina called from down the stairs.

Bran saw that broken look in her eyes, a reluctance to move. She was a mother walking to her own hangman's noose by going to her baby's funeral, "I… I, I can't do this…" she stammered out. The next thing she knew he had her hand wrapped up in his own, "you can. You are stronger than you think," his voice warmed her even as he leaned in and kissed her forehead, "now we are going to go down stairs, ok?"

Her eyes swung up meeting his for a few moments before they went just north of those hazel depths, "ya won't leave?"

"No I won't leave you alone, I'll be your shadow until we leave. It that's what you want," he told her gently.

"Ya may be handsome buh if ya follow me into the bathroom I will hit ya," she told him softly making him grin.

The male pulled her into his side gently, "I have no doubt you would." Maggie was a fierce little thing and it surprised him. He wrapped her hand over his arm gently putting his hand over hers so she couldn't walk away when they got down stairs. She was like a wounded animal and he felt like he needed to treat her as such. He wouldn't let her run even if it was her first instinct, get away from what was hurting her after all you couldn't run around a predator. It was dangerous.

"Just keep breathing…" she muttered to herself as Bran patted her hand. "Thank ya," she whispered to him knowing he would hear her despite the whisper. He didn't let go either even when they reached the bottom of the stairs, he just kept her from running and hiding from her troubles even if he did understand them.

Irina simply opened the door for them letting the near ever present heat flood into the entry. "Does this state know its October?" Anna asked teasingly trying to break the tension just a little.

"Half the time it doesn't even know when it's December. I think Maggie has a light jacket, I don't own anything thicker than a sweatshirt. You should see Halloween around here."

"No… No they shouldn't. I'm pretty sure I've seen more clothes on people during Mardi Gras…" Maggie said softly a shudder pulling through her body at the thought of the people she'd seen during Halloween. She'd taken Aeron to the movies every year because of it. She however did let Bran lead her outside only for him to surprise her when he led her to his passenger door opening it for her, she slid in watching him now as he closed her door and by the look of it was giving the others orders as he moved to his side of the car.

Irina was soon behind the wheel of her car with Charles in the passenger seat beside her quietly. Anna, smiling sweet Anna moved to the Marrok before getting into the backseat followed by Bran slipping in behind the wheel. "We'll be following Rina then?" she asked him and he nodded. "Will it get easier?"

"No. Not even for someone my age," Bran told her softly.

"Ya lost a child?" Anna and Maggie nearly asked the same question at the exact same time making the Marrok grin.

Bran nodded, "one, he was younger than Samuel but older than Charles, before we were wolves. I have however lost many grandchildren. My oldest boy Samuel, he had several… it doesn't get easier, often it gets harder with how old I am."

Anna lifted an eyebrow from the back seat clearly wondering why her father-in-law kept bringing up his age. Little did she know it wasn't even for the benefit of either female in the car, he was reminding his wolf even if the creature didn't seem to care if Maggie was so young still. His wolf was ecstatic that she was seated next to him even as she looked out the window. The wolf was even more excited to see that out of the corner of Bran's eye he could tell Maggie's dress had risen up a little further showing off a hard thigh ripe for squeezing the backs of as he held her up against a wall and… fuck down boy! Anna was watching Bran from the back seat though, the man kept looking at Maggie. He'd never done that with Leah; satisfy himself and his beast with her yes but from what she'd seen it hadn't really ever been more than that. He deserved more than that, Bran was such a good man and he should have been happy all the time.

"How old are ya?" Maggie asked finally with a little smirk only to get that heart melting boyish grin from him. She smiled once more before looking out the window again, "so should I call ya Crypt Keeper then?"

Anna nearly choked on a laugh, she hadn't expected that from the human, not with were they were headed to. Bran on the other hand did laugh; it was a deep rich sound from him. They both saw her freeze up when the gate surrounding the cemetery came into sight ten minutes later. Her hands clenched over her thighs a terrified, exhausted, and extremely sad look crossed her face compounding and mingling together in what had to be the most morose look either of them had in a very long time. Bran kept his left hand on the wheel as he reached over and slid his hand into hers on her lap. Maggie moved her hand until she could thread her fingers through his, Bran could feel her shaking.

The man's daughter-in-law leaned forward whispering into Bran's ear so low that even sitting right next to him Maggie couldn't hear her. A grim line creased his face when he heard what Anna had to say, no one had told him that there would _only _be a grave side service, the funeral homes and churches had all said no because of the werewolves. No one was going to say no to burying him though as long as the first time was the only time that the cemetery would be filled with wolves. He didn't even notice he was squeezing Maggie's hand in his anger until she whimpered lightly. He was quick to try and let her go so he wouldn't accidently break her hand and yet she refused to let him go just yet. "I'm sorry Maggie," Bran told her in what he was trying to make into a gently tone of voice. It must not have worked though since she was looking at him and she wasn't turning away from him either. "I'm ok Maggie; you don't have to give me that look."

"If ya sure," she told him even as they pulled through the gate.

"I'm sure. I didn't mean to hurt you," the man said and the female squeezed his hand for a second.

"I'm tough for a human," she informed him and Bran had to agree once more that she was. Soon they were parking though and she took a shaky breath as she looked out the window of her door not yet moving, she just stared at the blue canopy over the grave. A priest with a goatee and short spiked hair stood there talking to Malcolm. "I just… I need a minute."

"Take your time. I'm right here," his voice was warm and soothing to her. She slowly moved leaning her head on his shoulder breathing in deep. Bran looked at Malcolm as he let the sweet girl lean on him; he'd nearly told the man he wasn't allowed here either, he was worried the other man would upset the little blonde that was leaning on him. He nodded to Anna who got out of the car moving to talk to Charles. "Ready?"

"No, buh I can't stay in here…" Maggie told him and he nodded gently removing his hand from hers as she moved from leaning on him. She reached for the handle pulling it and he was there at her door finishing opening it and holding his hand out to her as soon as she got the thing cracked open. She slid her hand into his palm letting him help her from the car and lead her towards the grave and the closer they got the more she felt her heart squeeze violently in her chest, her hand clutched to Bran's in a death grip.

"Brooke… I just… I'm sorry…" Maggie looked at the female for a long moment before the woman spoke again. "I never blamed you Brooke; I know Lionel never said anything… I know Aeron was my husband's child, but for this to happen. Why would anyone hurt a sweet little guy like him?"

"Thank you Lorna. I don't know why, I could never imaging this not even in my worst nightmares. For what it is worth, if…"

Lorna shook her head, "don't. I already know you wouldn't have slept with him if he'd been honest. Come meet the priest, he's very… interesting," the female chuckled out lightly at the questioning look on the other woman's face, "not that kind of interesting. He's… well he is a Nephilim."

"We got a partially angelic priest?" Maggie questioned before looking up at Bran who smiled softly to her before letting go of her hand. He in turn gave Lorna a nod letting the woman bring the little blonde to the priest who smiled kindly to her.

"Hello dear I'm Father HelFyre," he said only for the grieving mother to blink for a second staring at him, really staring at him.

Maggie blinked once more the wolves were staring, Maggie had no filter most of them knew it but would she try to hold her tongue when it came to a Priest? "No offense, but ya shitting me right? I mean ya have ta be… No way ya are a Priest with a name like that."

The Priest laughed, he was a good natured fellow for the most part, and he just couldn't help but to laugh at that look she had on her face. "I know irony at its finest, right? It actually is my last name, it was one of my mummy's maiden names she didn't want to let go of. Her mum's last name was HelFyre and she died giving birth to mummy and aunt Salisa, her twin." Of course to add insult to injury in the way of irony was the fact that he was a demonic Nephilim.

That's right Zedrickt HelFyre was the product of love between a demonic goddess that could turn into a dragon and the arch angel Michael. Needless to say he'd always been more warrior than priest, but he'd taken his vows at his father's insistence to keep the other arch angels from killing him since he was considered an abomination to the natural order. Not to mention he was just a horrible priest when it came down to it. He had a Nephilim girlfriend, well fiancé and they had a daughter. Of course his baby girl Katreena made him well aware of what this poor woman was going through, he'd nearly lost his baby too.

"Father this is Brooke McLeod, she was Aeron's mother." Lorna informed him and Zedrickt frowned, "I'm so sorry. I didn't realize, it must seem so heartless of me."

Maggie reached out touching his elbow and Bran felt his wolf try to jump through his skin and murder the Priest, "it's fine really. Not heartless at all, it's hard on everyone not just the mother at a time like this. It shouldn't happen an' no one ever thinks it will until it does. My dad always used ta say, "Maggie mah sweet lass, when a wolf is mad ye donnae look into their eyes ye look intae their heart. If ye ken they would nae hurt ye on purpose ye have tae find the courage tae keep goin' at their side. Ye smile an' show yer neck lass, now if they threaten mah wee gran'bairn ye shoot 'em between the eyes. Tha's why ah gave ye the damn gun." I know ya weren't trying ta hurt me so I'll just smile and go on."

Lorna looked at her after a moment, "you are really good at your dad's accent."

Bran was smiling as he stood near Charles, he had a feeling he would have liked Maggie's father and because of what she said he also knew now that her father was the reason the girl was such a good shot, of course it couldn't have hurt that the man had only been a few feet in front of her too. It had been no doubt like shooting fish in a barrel.

"So Faddah if ya dohn mind me askin' why ya so okay wit' helpin' mah _fluer_?" Malcolm spoke up; Maggie wanted to strangle him… Then again Bran did too.

"One of the men I call uncle is a werewolf, perhaps you've heard of him. Fitzroy Stewart," Zedrickt said with a dark look in his blue eyes, he didn't like it that it sounded more like threat than anything when Malcolm asked him that so he gave his own threat by way of Fitzroy.

Malcolm blanched for a second losing all composure, "the fuckin' Beast of Lycrissao counts ya as family ta him?!"

"That's right so I would back off before you have a really tall shadow darkening your door. Maggie dear is this everyone you wanted here?" Zedrickt asked her, going from threatening to kind in an instant.

She looked around her, all of the pack but Lionel and his friends were there. "Yeah…" she whispered out but soon found Irina on one side of her and Bran on the other, she could feel the tears coming already.

"Alright sweet heart," the priest said. "If you need a laugh after this I'll tell you about Margaret before I head back to England." Despite the tears in her eyes that were even now slowly escaping he saw that look of "oh my fucking God" on her face and grinned. "Mummy has a house in Baton Rouge; she had me check in on it while I was here."

"Oh, ok then. I guess that's fine then. I just… wow. I didn't think that even with the circumstances that we would have to get someone in from a different continent."

Zedrickt grinned, "and with all my travelling you didn't even get a British guy with an accent. I'm joking, but in all honesty your son is well worth me coming here. If anyone wants to come closer, now is the time. I know you can all hear me perfectly from where you are though." A few of the wolves did step closer, they'd been close with Maggie and her family, and they truly had cared about Aeron. The others cared too of course but they weren't as close to Maggie, everyone had loved her baby. "Life is hard after every tragedy, but it's even worse when the soul lost to this world is that of a child. Children are meant to be our hope and future so to lose one so young is one of the hardest things in the world. Grief is a tangible being when a child is lost to their mother, it is a thing that should never happen and the way Aeron was lost was more tragic than most… How can you define a life of one so young and special? It is nearly impossible to do; the only way I can ever find is to simply say happiness. Happiness is the true being of a child; they are pure light and love."

Zedrickt gave Maggie a sympathetic look, "losing a child is like losing a part of your own soul, it often leaves a gaping wound that can't be seen or fixed. In time though that missing piece starts to fill with love and light once more, it is your soul healing though never whole.

"A soul of a child is innocence eternal and everlasting. It is a beautiful and special thing that can never be taken from its home in a mother's heart," Zedrickt continued as Maggie held tightly to her friend's hands taking in what comfort they could give her as hot tears slid down her face, she didn't care who saw them. It was shortly after this that Zedrickt prayed, the pack praying with him. "I was told before we started that Maggie would want to sing Aeron's lullaby to him once more. Maggie if you're ready dear?"

Maggie didn't know that anyone had mentioned this to the priest but she nodded softly before she took a single step forward not letting go of Irina or Bran as she did.

"_Goodnight my angel._

_Time to close your eyes._

_And save these questions for another day._

_I think I know what you've been asking me._

_I think you know what I've been trying to say._

_I promise I would never leave you._

_And you should always know, I never will be far away._

_Goodnight my angel, now it's time to sleep._

_And still so many things I want to say._

_Remember all the songs you sang for me._

_When we went sailing on a emerald bay._

_And like a boat out on the ocean._

_I'm rocking you to sleep._

_The water is dark and deep inside this mother's heart._

_You'll always be a part of me._

_Goodnight my angel, now it's time to dream._

_And dream how wonderful your life will be._

_Someday a child may cry and if you sing this lullaby._

_Then in your heart there will always be a part of me." _

The last notes wavered as her voice broke and a sob slammed from her chest. Bran pulled her into his chest breaking her contact with the other woman as he held her letting her cry into his shirt front. "You did fine, it was beautiful and I'm sure God let him hear you sing to him." That of course did nearly nothing but make her cry more as she clung to him, his wolf ached for her, his heart as heavy as if it was filled with lead. She was to be protected and taken care of but she was crying, she should never have to cry like this. Yet all he could do was to let her, there wasn't a way to fix this. He couldn't bring her son back to life for her.

"Ya would have like him," she hiccupped out between sobs even if her tears were lessening.

"I know I would have," he told her gently even if he was sure his wolf would have hated the fact that Aeron was someone else's. He couldn't have her, she wasn't his… _Can't let yourself fall for her, Bran._ "So father who is Margaret?" Bran asked trying to distract Maggie from the fact that the casket was lowering into the ground.

Zedrickt caught on right away and a bright smile shone over his face then, his blue eyes glimmering. "She is this little old human woman; she is agnostic and comes to church just to stalk me. She wants to jump me, she's admitted to it. She called me reverend yummy pants the other day before informing me that the only form of father she would ever call me was "daddy" while asking for a spanking."

Maggie was laughing so hard by the end of his explanation that she actually let out a little snort while giggling which made the wolves start to laugh as well.

**I know, I know it took forever. I'm sorry. Don't give up on me though, I am still writing even if it is slow, I've just been busy with school and work, but I'm on spring break which gave me the time I needed to finish this chapter while on the plane. I have already started on the next one for Romance (I love plane rides) and for anyone interested I put up a "preview" chapter for a Harry Potter story based around Abraxas Malfoy, if no interest is shown by the time either Primal or Romance is finished up it will just stay a preview online. I am also in the planning process for a Divergent (based on Four after his transfer) story for after these as well.**

**Zedrickt HelFyre, Katreena HelFyre, Fitzroy Stewart, and Lycrissao (castle and Beast title) all belong to me, they are my original characters that I am writing into a novel.**


	5. Chapter 4

**A/n: I'm sorry I know I'm terrible. I still love my stories but life is getting in the way of me writing just now. Seriously please don't give up on me!**

* * *

Bran looked at Irina, "where did Maggie get off to?" he asked the female wolf worried about the little human who should have been here in her own house at her son's wake. The pack was here in the house eating, talking about the funeral, and talking about Aeron.

"She needed some time… I sent her out to the track her dad put in. If you want to check on her it's about a mile right out the back door. You won't want to go on the pavement just in case she brought the car out. Her dad put a drag strip out there so he could practice as a shine runner back in the day… He paved it when Maggie started showing interest in it and that is still how some of the wolves and Maggie calm down to this day."

He nodded thoughtfully wondering if he should go after her or not, that was before he heard Anna's voice. "You should go, Maggie respects you. I think she also trusts you to protect her just like all of your wolves do," she informed him softly as she reached out and touched his arm in a way that clearly sad she was serious when she said it.

When his daughter-in-law was right she was right. Maggie needed someone in her corner right now and that meant she needed someone with her right now too but that didn't mean she needed to be around her pack either because at the moment they would only make her cry more than she already was no doubt. Yes he was considering them her pack but Irina had said it hell Malcolm had said she was part of the pack too so it kind of stuck in his mind.

Bran headed out the back door going in the direction he'd been told, he couldn't hear a car in the middle of the woods though and if there was a car driving out there he would have heard it. He continued to move to where Irina said she would be and the further he got into the property the more concerned he became about the little human. Yet what he saw at the strip wasn't what he was expecting at all. Maggie sat cross legged in the middle of the pavement. Her hair was in total disarray, her dress rucked up to nearly showing everything she had under it, her shoes had been thrown half way down the half mile drag strip, and she was simply sitting there practically guzzling a bottle of twelve-year-old whiskey. He looked at her car park there behind her, the windows and lights had all been completely smashed in and parts of the metal were dented in. There was a baseball bat on the ground next to the car.

Bran quickly moved over to her sitting behind her he wrapped his arms around her, "talk to me Maggie."

She sniffed and leaned back against him, "that an ordah?"

"Only if it has to be."

Maggie turned her head to look at him over her shoulder, she didn't even realize that even just sitting there she was swaying so bad that if his arms weren't around her she would have fallen over by just turning her head like that. Her eyes were bloodshot on bronze and her mascara was streaked down her face, the poor thing was just so lost right now. "Aeron loved this car… Daddah gave it ta me a long time ago… Ah've lost everah thin' ah've loved, Bran. Ah feel like ah'm cursed… like ah need ta leave before Rina is next…"

"When is the last time you drank?"

She took a breath holding it for a moment as she thought before finally saying, "ah had a whiskey sour when daddah died. Before tha' though… couple years before Aeron was born," she slurred out to him as Bran looked at the half empty bottle dangling from her fingers. "Ah dun wan' ta feel…" she whispered to him her eyes blinking up at him. "Why do ah still feel so much?"

"It hurts more not to feel Maggie… I've tried that my dear," Bran told her gently as he continued to hold her. This was one thing in life though that often got worse before it got better, which was probably why she'd drank so much so quickly and that poor car… it would probably never be the same again.

She leaned back on him once more letting her head rest on his shoulder as he just held her and comforted her like she needed. She wasn't ready for him to let her go yet and he seemed to know it. He could feel his wolf howling out it's sorrow for this woman in his very bones, this strong broken woman that the creature had a thing for… "Can we stay like this fah now? Ah dun think ah can handle mah pack righ' now…"

"For as long as you need. I can send them away if you want," he told her gently.

She shook her head against his shoulder though, "let them stay fah now." They could always kick them out later if it came to it, right now though she was emotionally drained and more than slightly drunk off of her ass. He didn't know how long they sat there like that but it wasn't until the bottle slipped out of her fingers that he realized she'd fallen asleep on him.

The booze was slipping out of the bottle and slowly easing towards them. He sighed as he slipped his arms around her so that he could carry her inside, after hooking one arm under her legs and the other around his back he lifted her as if she weighed no more than a newborn. Of course with werewolf strength she might as well have weighed nothing, "so fragile… so human…" he sighed out shaking his head even as the female cuddled into him. He growled out a little as she pressed her face into the side of his neck, her booze soaked breath flowing across his skin. This woman, this creature was going to be the death of him.

He carried her into her house giving Irina a look, "you've been staying here you know where her room is." Irina said with a knowing smile as if she knew exactly what he'd done in the other woman's shower. "She'll need to sleep that off," she said nodding to her goddaughter. The woman would just have to recruit Charles and Anna to help her get the guests out of Maggie's house in a little while so Irina could clean the place up a bit in peace.

"Yes she will," he said knowing at that moment that he had just been recruited to babysit her couch tonight.

He got her into her bed though before gently pulling the covers own under her thin form and back up over her slight form curled up on that too big for her alone bed. Her sighed brushing some of her hair out of her face before he leaned down and kissed her forehead, "sweet dreams Maggie."

"Stay… please. Ah dun want ta be alone right now, Bran," her voice was soft, sleep filled and her eyes were still closed. If he didn't know better he would have sworn he'd heard her thoughts but that was something that was beyond him. "Just until ah fall back asleep, please?"

He was looking at her that time, saw her sweet plump lips moving and he couldn't help but smile slightly. "Alright Maggie," he told her softly before he moved to the other side of the bed and lay down on top of the covers looking at her as she rolled over and curled into him with her arm thrown over his middle.

* * *

He had no idea when he'd even fallen asleep, all he knew was he was waking up to Maggie's nails digging deep into his ribs. It was dark out and he could feel the blood dribbling down his side in slow moving hot sticky trails. She must have been in the middle of a nightmare and he couldn't blame her for it. He reached down carefully prying her nails out of his flesh, there was normally only one reason a guy liked a girls nails digging into his flesh and that was currently happening so the nails kind of needed to stop. "Maggie… Maggie wake up," he told her trying to be gentle about it.

Of course when she did wake up it was startled and she'd happened to have forgotten that she'd made him stay so as she jolted into wakefulness she head butted him in the chin making both of them groan out. "Fuck… sorry, sorry. How's the chin?"

"Slightly better than your headache I'm guessing," he told her as he reached up and rubbed at his chin nearly as if it was an afterthought.

She groaned again and nestled her head back into his chest once more, "I'd forgotten what having a hangover was like…"

"Need some Tylenol?"

"Yes but not willing to let you move to get me some. I'm comfortable," she informed him with a yawn.

He chuckled softly at that making her head bounce a little on his chest which only prompted her to poke him in the side. "Go on back to sleep for a while," he could feel her nod against his chest cuddling into him once more as she fell back asleep. The issue for him was his wolf was currently in overdrive now that he was awake, the bastard wouldn't let him be either. Not with Maggie's silky hair draped over his arm like that, her weight settled comfortably against him, and he scent was overwhelming his senses. The longer he lay there awake the more her scent surrounded him, the more he felt himself getting hard for her but this time there wasn't a cold shower… not with her using him for a pillow…

* * *

He felt her move and he couldn't be sure if she was asleep still or not. She'd moved a few times in her sleep through the night every time she had it had put him in a more and more compromising position that had him wishing she was awake as he begrudgingly made her stop what she was doing. His wolf thought he was crazy for stopping her and he wanted to beat the idiot creature to death.

Of course this time the movement seemed deliberate, so perhaps she had woken up. Then again why would she be trying to crawl up his chest? Oh that was why… her soft lips pressed into his. He was kissing her back too until his brain caught up to him, _this is not the real way to deal with grief moron… _If he let this go on he was going to feel like he took advantage of her.

Ever so gently he reached up and took her shoulders pushing her back so she would stop kissing him, now it was his wolf instead of his conscious insisting he was a moron. Still she was giving him this confused heartbroken look so he had to be the one to say it. "I don't want you regretting another over later in your life. You can't replace your grief, Maggie."

The thing was, she wasn't going to regret it… It probably would never happen again but she wouldn't regret the act. "I need to feel something other than pain… please, Bran."

That soft plea it probably wouldn't have worked… until that 'please Bran' fell from her lips. He knew it was just an excuse to do something he was positive he shouldn't have been doing but he didn't care at this second either. _One time couldn't hurt…_ he thought only to have his wolf rejoice… ingrate.

He brought her down to him once more kissing her soft lips nibbling gently at the plumpest part of her lower lip until she opened her mouth to him a little more and their tongues met. As they continued to kiss though he felt his wolf trying to claim her… _can't fall for her… can't do this. I'll just want her more. _He broke the kiss once more, "we can't I'm sorry Maggie. No matter how beautiful you are, I just can't."

She looked down at him and then it hit her, his wife. The one that had died some unknown time ago, at least to her. He must have still missed her. Sure she was actually wrong in the assumption but what else was she supposed to have thought? "I'm sorry. I… Can you still hold me at least?"

His heart was melting at that look from her and the way she asked that of him. "Yes I can hold you still," he told her even if he knew he shouldn't. Oh he could fall hard for this one, he was pretty sure that he already was in fact. Not that he'd admit to either. He wrapped his arms around her once more as she tucked herself against his chest. She really was a sweet woman, if she was a wolf he may have even given into her. She would have been less breakable, so not human.

"I didn't mean to make things hard for you," she told him gently and he wondered what she actually meant by it.

"I know, its ok Maggie," Bran told her gently as he ran his fingers up her spine. "We'll be leaving soon. We have to install a new alpha first though."

"I understand," she told him before he spoke of the new alpha. "Why would you need to do that?"

He sighed, "you are stronger than Malcolm. He will do what you say and no matter if I trust you or not I can't have a human running one of the packs."

Maggie gave a little chuckle, "well I am smarter than he is. If you don't mind a suggestion… you should talk to Dagobert before you decide on anyone. He is third but he is the best choice to be honest he actually gives a damn what happens to everyone in the pack."

"Even you?"

She shrugged, "he'll do what he can to protect me so long as it's in the interests of the pack as a whole. With daddy dead and Aeron too I'm not technically supposed to mean anything to them. Rina is my only true connection to the pack now being my godmother but I'm too old for even that connection to hold. Guess I kind of screwed myself over in a way. I defended the werewolves because I've always been pack thanks to my family, now I've lost my family so I'm not really worth protecting anymore even if I have the world against me now."

"Them being gone doesn't mean you don't have family in the pack still. No matter what I will make sure you are protected," Bran told her before kissing her on top of her head. "I can't have one of the only humans on our side getting hurt, now can I? People will start to assume we can't protect anything if we can't even take care of one little human."

She felt a grimace crease over her lips as he said that. Suddenly she bit him on the chest right next to where his nipple was even through the shirt he was wearing. "I'm not just some human Bran…" She growled out looking at him her bronze eyes meeting his hazel ones, it took nearly twenty seconds before she finally had no choice but to look away. "I'm not a wolf either though. I don't fit perfectly into either world but I belong in both and neither."

"You are too strong for your own good, did you know that? If my wolf didn't like you as much as it does it would have seen what you just did as a challenge and not you just trying to prove a point."

"So your wolf is on team Maggie but you aren't?"

He growled lightly, "don't put words in my mouth Maggie." Seconds later the rumbling growl stopped and she looked up at him once more, his wolf looked back at her through golden eyes.

"I'm not afraid of you. I know you won't hurt me," she told the wolf. The creature wearing Bran's skin smirked at her before it moved flipping them so that her back was pressed into the bed with him over her. The wolf kissed her clearly not having the issue Bran was about her being "fragile." The wolf moved a hand over her thigh before he pressed his thumb hard into her clit making her moan out loudly. "You sure Bran won't mind?" she groaned out to the wolf as her nails dug into his shoulders.

He smirked to her once more as he rubbed her through her panties. She could really come to like this wolf just as much as she was liking his human counterpart. She gave a little sigh of a moan as she watched him lean back on his knees still moving his thumb over her and he reached up with his free hand gripping her dress he started to pull.

She reached up touching the hand gripping her dress as she heard a seam start to give. "No tearing my dress…" she ordered making the wolf growl at her. She sat up slowly until she could move onto her own knees in front of him before reaching down and pulling her dress up and off of herself. She let the thing hit the ground before she moved a little closer to the still growling wolf. Maggie smiled at him as she leaned in and kissed him once more her hands moving up to undo the buttons of the shirt he was wearing. As she got it unbuttoned she shoved the shirt down off of his body before pushing it off of him completely and he pulled her into his now bared chest before tearing through the bra she was wearing, his mouth took hers hard nearing on vicious, lip bruising, and she was loving it.

After pulling the remains of her bra off of her he dropped the cloth onto the bed before leaning down taking a nipple into his mouth as he pinched the other in a near punishing gesture for her ordering him around. He flicked his hot tongue over that rosy pink peak he was playing with. He suddenly switched to the other nipple leaving the first one cold to the air around it. She was becoming kind of frantic now, reaching out for his pants undoing them to free a rather impressive erection.

He could feel her trying to get those pants off of him which with him knelt down and leaned into her chest at the moment wasn't making this an easy task in any way. She couldn't even work the clothing halfway down his ass before he bit her nipple and pulled back from her. She watched him get off of the bed her head reeling and her heart thumping hard in her chest as he finished stripping for her, he was exquisite…

The wolf looked at her quietly glancing from those panties, the last thing she had on, back up to her face. Carefully, so as not to fall on her face and look like a moron, she reached down puling her panties to her knees before she pulled her first leg out then the second before dropping the cloth onto the floor. She simply let him take her in as she kneeled on her bed looking right back at him before he stalked to her smirking. She had a feeling she was going to enjoy having this wolf around.

She was practically purring as he slid his hand down her stomach and lower still until his palm cupped her vagina, heat pouring off of her even as he started to move his middle finger until it could delve between her lower lips right into her slick molten juices and he was growling once more. He leaned in nibbling at her neck as he slid his fingers in and out of that hot sheath of hers. The more he moved his fingers in her the more he growled and the more she started to moan as her knees moved further apart and her breasts brushed up against his solid chest despite not being the largest busted woman in the world.

Bran wrapped his free arm around her middle lifting her a little so he wouldn't hurt her knees laying her back on the bed even as he looked down at her as his fingers played inside of her making her squirm under him. As his fingers pumped in her she whimpered out at him before she started to cum making her cry out as her insides squeezed at his fingers even as he kept them moving to draw her orgasm out until her small frame was quivering with the force of it.

"Please…" she groaned out when he finally removed his fingers from her. Her bronze eyes looked up into his clearly golden wolf eyes and she didn't turn away from his gaze either. He smiled a real smile at that before he settled over her the head of his erection at her opening, and as she nodded to him he slid in to the hilt making her gasp out a sighing moan. He pulled nearly all the way out of her before slamming back in. This wasn't making love, no that would come later… this… this was fucking.

Her nails dug into his back leaving angry red welts in stripes across his flesh. They both knew they wouldn't be there long but they were their now and they were loving that they were. His hands moved over her soft flesh gently despite how hard he was slamming into her. "Fuck don't stop… feels so good," she groaned out even as he moved slipping his arms under her shins so that her knees were hooked over his biceps opening her more to him and letting him fuck her harder and deeper.

The longer they went at it the faster he started to move in her. Soon enough the wolf that had taken over Bran said the first and only thing he would to her that day, "mine…" That single gravel filled word growled through her making her cum hard around him and he nearly roared in pleasure as he followed right after her.

He moved then letting her legs slide to the bed as he let his arms rest next to her shoulders before his lips met hers ounce more and she was kissing him back. When he pulled back from her she looked up at him smiling, "you have exhausted me but at the same point in time I'm starving. You want waffles?" she asked him thinking about her stomach the first time in days. He grinned and nodded to her before letting her get up and watching her head first to the shower so she could get cleaned and dressed for the day ahead of them.

When she came back into the room it was already cleaned up clothes and sheets in the basket, torn things tossed in the trash and he was in his wolf form now. "Not regretting things with me already, right?" she asked him and he growled at her making her grin. "Fine then I was just asking. Come on let's get breakfast."

When they reached the bottom of the stairs the wolf moved leaning against her front door which only made her smile and move to open the thing for him. She left the door wide so he could come and go as he pleased though she didn't notice her fingers trail down his back as he walked past her and went into the woods that surrounded her home. He'd come back when breakfast was done cooking surely.

Irina looked at her from the table as she walked in to the kitchen, "Maggie we need to talk…"


End file.
